My Heart's Duet
by TrudiRose
Summary: Enchanted. A fluffy, romantic one-shot about Edward and Nancy.


_Author's note: I love "Enchanted," but I find it a bit frustrating the way the movie just throws Edward and Nancy together almost as an afterthought. I like the pairing (and Edward is totally adorable), but I wish they'd spent more than two seconds on it. Then I thought "Well, that's what fanfic is for, isn't it?" So, here's a one-shot about Edward and Nancy. Warning: This is total, unabashed romantic fluff, nothing more. :)_

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As Prince Edward and Nathaniel returned to the ballroom following Narissa's demise, the servant cleared his throat. "Please forgive me, sire, for my part in Narissa's nefarious plot," he said humbly.

Edward waved the apology away. "She was a sorceress of great power – you were no doubt bewitched. Fortunately you had the strength and courage to break free of her spell at last."

Nathaniel thought about that and brightened. "You're right!" he said. Although he knew that Narissa hadn't literally cast magic on him, he _had_ been bewitched by her beauty and her tantalizing insinuations that she actually cared about him. He was glad to finally see things clearly and be his own man, instead of her grovelling toady.

Things had worked out well for him, as it turned out...although not as well for Edward, who had lost the girl of his dreams, Nathaniel thought. He gave Edward a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry about Giselle, sire."

Edward shrugged philosophically. "No need. It's clear to me now that she was not the one for me after all. There is no denying true love's kiss: Giselle was destined to belong to this Robert fellow. But have no fear, Nathaniel! I know in my heart there's a maiden for me, though I know not yet who she may be. But she it is whom I must love, fated by the stars above," he proclaimed with certainty. "I must be patient, and must wait, for the sign that leads me to my fate. When I find her who claims my heart, thereafter we will never part."

Nathaniel had to smile at the prince's optimism as well as his love of rhyme. "I hope you're right, sire."

Edward laughed. "I'm _always_ right, Nathaniel!" he said confidently.

He glanced around the room, and unconsciously brightened as his eye fell on that beautiful girl he had danced with, Nancy. During their dance, he had been very taken with her. Although he had tried hard to ignore it, there had been an undeniable spark between them. But sworn to Giselle as he was at the time, he had remained a perfect gentleman and not acted on it.

But now, his brow furrowed with concern as he noticed that Nancy was sitting on the floor, holding a shoe and looking like she was about to cry. It must be because she had lost Robert. Edward felt pain at the very thought of that dear girl being so sad. _Why, a girl_ _like that deserves only happiness!_ he thought. _She deserves to be surrounded by light and music and roses and love all the days of her life! But instead, she is filled with sorrow. I must remedy this at once!_ Immediately Edward sprang into action, determined to rush to her side and aid the damsel in distress.

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Nancy stared at the shoe in her hand, which had inadvertently been left behind by Giselle. _Oh, THAT figures,_ she thought, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

She knew she should be happy for Giselle and Robert, but she couldn't help feeling sorry for herself. It just seemed so unfair. _I used to believe in fairy tales too,_ she thought wistfully. Once upon a time – it felt so long ago now -- Nancy had been young and idealistic and full of hope. Back then, she had dreamed of a prince who would sweep her off her feet and fill her life with love and romance. Someone noble and good, whose intentions were pure, who would be loyal and true and love her forever and ever. And they would live happily ever after.

_Well, life crushed THOSE dreams pretty quickly,_ Nancy thought cynically. Every guy she fell for turned out to be not a Prince Charming, but a frog in disguise. There were the one-night stands who never called back...the guys who hit on her while failing to mention that they already had girlfriends or, worse, wives...the unemployed losers who expected her to pay for everything, including their credit card bills...the liars, the cads, the cheaters.

Then there was Robert. He had seemed like a breath of fresh air at first. True, he was unromantic and unspontaneous...but he was also steady, dependable, and honest. He wasn't a manipulative creep like so many of the others. Their relationship had been lacking in romance and passion, but at least it was safe. Robert would never break her heart...or so she had thought. But as the years went on, he never seemed ready to take the next step and make a real commitment. He was so guarded, so unwilling to truly give his heart to someone.

_No. That's wrong. He WAS able to give his heart to someone. It just wasn't me,_ Nancy thought sadly. It was just so ironic: she had lost her boyfriend, not to some sneaky golddigging sex siren, but to a princess straight out of one of the fairy tales Nancy had long ago lost faith in!

Nancy wanted to hate Giselle for stealing her boyfriend...but she just couldn't. No one could hate Giselle. She was so pure and sweet and good-hearted, without a mean bone in her body. Nancy still couldn't imagine why on earth Giselle had fallen in love with _Robert,_ of all people. After all, she'd already had a real-life, honest-to-goodness Prince Charming! An impossibly heroic, handsome, romantic man who'd travelled to the ends of the earth to rescue her! Nancy sighed enviously. How could Giselle possibly give up a man like _that_ for cautious, practical Robert?

But the bottom line was...she had. And it was obvious that Giselle and Robert's love was the real deal. After all, he had actually awakened her from a magic spell with a kiss! Nancy wouldn't have believed it was possible if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes.

_I guess fairy tales really CAN come true,_ Nancy thought. _Just...not for me._ Her eyes filled with tears.

A deep, gallant voice interrupted her thoughts. "Why so sad, beautiful lady?"

Nancy looked up. There was Prince Edward, all kindness and concern. _That's so chivalrous of him, being considerate of the girl who got rejected. Then again, he got dumped too – maybe he's feeling as down as I am._ She held up Giselle's shoe by way of explanation. "She forgot her shoe."

Edward's eyes widened in recognition as he looked at the shoe. Then his eyes gleamed with excitement. She could practically see a lightbulb come on over his head. He took the shoe from her. "May I?" he asked.

She didn't have to ask what he meant by that; of course, he of all people would know the iconic symbolism of Cinderella. But the idea was so silly! Why would he think Giselle's shoe would fit _her?_ Still, his blue eyes were so earnest, so hopeful, she couldn't turn him down. _What the hell, why not?_ she thought.

She offered him her foot, and he slipped the shoe onto it. To her amazement, it fit as though it had been made for her. Edward grinned, delighted. "It's a perfect fit," he said meaningfully. "You _are_ the one!"

_"Me?"_ Nancy gasped. "But...you don't even _know_ me!"

"I know what's in your heart," Edward said with absolute conviction. "In my world, this is how it happens. Everyone has a soulmate, the one person they are meant to love, and when they find that person, Fate sends them a sign." He nodded at the shoe. "This is ours." Then he gazed into her eyes. "Destiny brought us together. Can't you feel it?"

She looked into his eyes, so deep and blue. As crazy as it all sounded...she _did _feel it, an overwhelming sense of connection between them, as if they were meant to be together. As if she had spent her whole life searching for the one man who could complete her...and here he was, right in front of her. It had nothing to do with logic, or weighting the pros and cons, or analyzing if their personality traits were compatible...it just WAS, pure and real, a feeling of connection and desire and an urgent need to be with him that seemed to come from the very depths of her soul. It felt right. "Yes," she whispered. "I feel it."

Edward was overjoyed. "I knew it!" Then he got down on one knee and took Nancy's hand with one of his, putting his other hand over his heart. "Will you come with me back to my kingdom, my dearest Nancy?" he asked. "If you do, I will marry you on the spot and make you my queen, and I swear I shall devote every hour of every day to your happiness. I will shower you with jewels, scatter rose petals before you. I will pour out my love for you in song, and together, we will share love's duet, and live happily ever after."

"Oh, my," Nancy breathed, swept away by the romance of it all. Part of Nancy's mind – the habitual, cynical part – tried to hold back her feelings, to say, _Oh, please! Is this guy for real?_ But that was just it: he WAS real. His heart was pure and true, and he meant every word he said, gazing at her in utter devotion as if she was the only thing that mattered in the entire world. No man had ever looked at her like that – certainly not Robert. She felt her defenses melting away, like a winter frost exposed to the warm summer sun.

"Oh, Edward..." she whispered. She felt lightheaded, as though she might swoon. "I...I just can't believe this is happening." And yet...suddenly she realized she could. After all these years, she could believe in fairy tales and true love and happily ever after. "Yes, Edward," she said, smiling. "I'll marry you!"

"Oh, Nancy! You have made me the happiest man in the world!" Edward cried. He leaned over her and touched his lips to hers. She closed her eyes and melted against him. It was the most awesome, passionate kiss Nancy had ever felt, and now she really _did_ feel herself swooning.

"Come, my love! I don't want to wait even one more _second_ to make you mine!" Edward grabbed her hand and they ran out of the ballroom. Laughing like children, they ran all the way to Times Square. Edward lifted the manhole cover, and Nancy found herself looking down into a swirling vortex. She glanced hesitantly at Edward, who gave a reassuring nod. Nancy took a deep breath. Well, here goes nothing.

She jumped down into the tunnel of swirling fog and glittering lights, and landed in a meadow. Feeling like Alice in Wonderland, she looked around in awe at an animated fairy tale world, as unlike New York City as one could possibly get. She held up her cartoon hands, marvelling at how different they looked. "Wow. This is surreal."

Edward, who had landed beside her, frowned slightly at the unfamiliar word. "Is that bad?" he asked in worried confusion.

Nancy laughed. "No, it's wonderful! It's like being inside a storybook! I love it." Nancy twirled around the meadow, feeling uncharacterically carefree and unself-conscious. Then a movement caught her eye. Cute animals were coming out of the forest into the meadow: cuddly bunnies, sweet little fawns, squirrels and chipmunks. A fawn nuzzled her hand, and songbirds landed on her shoulders and trilled a welcoming tune.

"Oh...how adorable!" Nancy said, stroking the fawn's head. "Hello there!"

"Hello!" the animals replied in high voices. "Welcome to Andalasia!"

Pip, who had come through the portal with Edward, gave a low bow. "If you need anything, just ask us," he told Nancy. "We're at your service."

_They talk?_ Nancy thought in amazement. "Thank you. That's very kind of you." She turned to Edward. "Edward, this place is _incredible!"_

Edward beamed. "I'm very glad you like my kingdom."

"Your kingdom..." mused Nancy. "To think that you actually _rule_ this whole place! Tell me, what's it like? It must be a lot of responsibility – so many decisions to make, laws to pass..."

Edward cleared his throat, looking a bit embarrassed. "Well...to be honest, Narissa handled all that," he admitted sheepishly. "She said not to worry about it - she was more than happy to deal with all the mundane, tedious details of ruling the kingdom. I spent most of my time out hunting trolls," he added quickly, not wanting her to think he was useless. "We have quite a plague of trolls here in Andalasia. They're very dangerous, always snatching up maidens to eat and destroying villages. Someone has to stop them!"

Nancy smiled. He was so adorable. "I'm sure you're VERY good at that," she said reassuringly. She thought for a moment. "You know, back in New York, I owned my own fashion design business. I had to manage a staff, balance the finances, make all the decisions about what was best for the company's future...I could help you run the kingdom, if you want."

_"Would_ you?" Edward exclaimed with relief. "That would be marvellous!" He picked her up and swung her around. "You are an extraordinary girl!"

"Thanks!" Nancy said, smiling.

"Now, on to a far more pressing matter: our wedding," Edward said decisively. He took her hand. "Come. I know a fairy godmother who can get you ready in a jiffy!"

"Wow. A real fairy godmother?" Nancy said, following him to a cottage. Inside, a kindly old woman listened to their story, then waved her wand. Magic swirled around Nancy, changing her clothes to an elaborate wedding dress. "Cool!" Nancy said, impressed.

Then they were in a chapel, surrounded by cuddly forest animals, and they were saying "I do." The preacher announced, "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride." But as they leaned toward each other, Nancy heard the unmistakable chirp of her cell phone.

She pulled it out. "Wow, great reception here," she muttered. Then she threw the phone over her shoulder and heard it shatter. She didn't want any mundane reality to interrupt her happy ending. She looked up at her handsome prince, who was patiently awaiting his kiss. Impulsively she grabbed him and swept him into a low dip, planting a passionate one on his lips.

Edward was delighted. "You have such spirit, my love!" he exclaimed admiringly. He was used to passive damsels in distress. Nancy was unlike any woman he had ever met, and he found her incredibly exciting. "I can see that our happily ever after will be full of surprises!"

He gazed into her eyes, and she felt a thrill run through her as he began to sing to her:

"You're the maiden I've been searching for,

Whom I long to cherish and adore.

Destiny sent me to that far-off land,

That I might meet you and understand.

Now, at last, you're my beloved bride—"

Unexpectedly, Nancy found herself singing, the words pouring out of her. "And forever I'll be by your side..."

Together they raised their voices in harmony.

"We will share a life of endless bliss,

Of joy, and romance, and true love's kiss."

"Wow," Nancy said in awe as the song ended. "That was...something. I can't believe I actually sang in public!" She giggled. "I guess I'm getting the hang of this place, huh?"

Edward smiled at her affectionately. "From the moment I saw you, I knew you belonged here! And now, my love..." He offered her his arm, and she took it. Outside the church, he lifted her onto his noble white steed, then climbed on himself. "Let us away to my castle! Our happily ever after awaits."

With that, they galloped off into the sunset.


End file.
